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Success Stories

A mother and three daughters pose around a dining room table. There are lace curtains and blue wall in the background and some dishes on the table in the foreground.

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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Use the filters below to find additional stories about how our programs have helped rural communities across the nation.

Search Results: 893 Stories
People on staircase cutting a ribbon.

Ohio Celebrates Opening of New Independent Living Facility

Ohio Eastern Star Home gathered with family, friends, community leaders, and partners to cut the ribbon and celebrate opening of the newest addition to its 60-acre Mt. Vernon, Ohio campus. Pine Hill, an apartment complex featuring 40… [Read More]
Ohio
Community FacilitiesHousing
The Gerritsen family of Wood Prairie farm is shown gathered around potato sorting equipment.

Iconic Maine Farm Returns to its Roots with REAP

Wood Prairie Family Farm (WPFF) is in the far northern town of Bridgewater, Maine, near the Canadian border. The farm is best known for its certified organic table potatoes and Maine certified seed potatoes (sold locally, online, and from a… [Read More]
Maine
Food SupplyKnow Your FarmerLocal ProduceRenewable Energy
Jim Pitreau stands at the base of Green Thumb Farms' new grain dryer.

High Efficiency Grain Dryer Proves Transformational for Green Thumb Farms

Soil Health, Bottom Line, and Maine Livestock All Benefit from REAP GrantGreen Thumb Farms is a familiar name to many Mainers. The farm’s “Cold River Gold” potatoes are found in abundance in New England supermarkets each fall and winter.  The family-owned farm in the… [Read More]
Maine
BusinessEnergyFood SupplyKnow Your FarmerREAP
Man standing in front of two large water heaters.

Energy Grant Helps Keep Dinner Plates Fresh and Full Year-Round

The Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio, is a year-round 400-acre production farm that grows more than 800 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and microgreens. USDA Photo.  The Chef’s Garden, Inc., is a year-round 400-acre production farm in… [Read More]
Ohio
EnergyREAP
Brandon Willis, Rancher's Insurance owner standing in front of ground mounted solar panels in Laketown, Utah.

Solar Project Provides Big Opportunities for a Rural Utah Farmer, Businessman, and Community Leader

Northern Utah’s Laketown is a rural community with a population of just 299 on the South end of Bear Lake. The area offers beautiful lake views, summer recreation, and miles of agriculture. Brandon Willis, owner of Rancher’s Insurance, provides agriculture insurance to farmers… [Read More]
Utah
EnergyRenewable EnergyRural DevelopmentSolar Energy
From left to right, Autumn Vogel, a cooperative developer at Keystone Development Center; Aliquippa Food Co-op team members: Carla McCoy; Tamu Gilbert, director of the Darrelle Revis Foundation; Mary Alice Gettings, educator with Penn State Extension Beaver County; Dave Slebodnik, owner of Sprout Project Management and Big Table Urban Farm in Beaver Falls, Pa.; Tyrone Patillo, principal with Premier Developments LLC.

Cooperative Partnership Increases Equitable Access to Healthy Foods in Western Pennsylvania

Former high school athlete Tyrone (Ty) Patillo of Aliquippa, PA, has community service in his blood. His father was the first minority firefighter in the community. Ty continues the family tradition of giving back. His dedication to helping his hometown led him to look for… [Read More]
Pennsylvania
CooperativesLocal Foods
Transforming Lives with Quality Healthcare Services in Rural Alabama

Transforming Lives with Quality Healthcare Services in Rural Alabama

Medical West Hospital Authority, an affiliate of University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB Health System, sought financing for a replacement and relocation of their existing hospital from its current Bessemer, Alabama location to rural McCalla, Alabama, in West Jefferson County,… [Read More]
Alabama
Community Facilities
Gate valve tie in on water pipe

Teaming Up to Keep Water Losses Down in an Aging Southwest Virginia System

When Jeff Kilgore started work at the Woodway Water Authority (WWA), he found himself at the helm of a proverbial sinking ship with a small crew working feverishly to plug the leaks. The new executive director knew he had to drastically improve accountability to keep the… [Read More]
Virginia
Utilities
Officials gather to break ground on the City of Mazeppa's new wastewater treatment facility

Rural Minnesota Town Breaks Ground on Long-Awaited Wastewater Treatment Facility

The City of Mazeppa recently celebrated a significant milestone with the groundbreaking of a new wastewater treatment facility, moving one step forward in ensuring a sustainable future for its residents. With over $12 million in funding from USDA Rural Development, Mazeppa will… [Read More]
Minnesota
Wastewater
Redhead Creamery remains a popular attraction in Brooten due to its cheese shop and added bar and restaurant area.

From Cheesemaking to Distilling Spirits: USDA Loan Helps Minnesota Creamery Venture Into New Industry

Nestled in the countryside of Brooten, Minnesota, Redhead Creamery stands as a beacon of innovation and community spirit. What was once a traditional dairy farm has expanded into a family-operated business widely recognized as a vibrant hub for artisan cheese and distilled… [Read More]
Minnesota
Food SupplyValue Added

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